TVSquad

I could make another joke about how Hollywood is out of ideas, but why bother? However, as further proof of the concept, a live-action/CGI Yogi Bear movie is in the works based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon from way back when. Dan Aykroyd will be lending his voice for Yogi and Justin Timberlake will be the voice of Boo Boo. Did anyone else just feel a cold shiver down their spine?

Anna Faris will also be in the movie as a documentary filmmaker. I like Anna Faris even when she's in crap movies, but I don't think her presence is going to make me like this one.

I'm sorry to say that this movie will likely do well and the kids will eat up. Look at Hollywood's history of similar movies (most of which have actually spawned sequels): The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Garfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Scooby Doo ... the list goes on.

So what do you think of this idea?

It looks like Yogi and Boo-Boo are going to be introduced to a new generation. They're getting the big screen treatment in a combination of live-action and CGI, a la Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Unlike the aforementioned, one can only hope that a decent script will be done before anything is committed to the screen. However, being that I have no faith in Hollywood, I doubt it.

As a matter of fact, when I think of Hanna Barbera properties on the big screen, I automatically think of the 1994 movie version of The Flintstones. Then I shudder. The script will probably be cliché and have very little in common with the original cartoon, and the new generation will lap it up like milk. It's another pleasant childhood memory flushed down the toilet in the name of the almighty dollar.

Enough of my rant. My big question is: who will be playing Ranger Smith?

Seventeen. That is the number of premieres that aired during the 1973-74 Saturday morning schedule. It marked the largest number of premieres since original fare began to be offered during the 1965-66 season. It also marked an official shift in the what the networks decided was rating-getting Saturday morning fare.

Taking an example from ABC's successful Saturday morning schedule during the 1972-73 season, the other networks loaded up their time slots with animated versions of its primetime related fare. There was also a lack of animated rock bands. With The Osmonds, Jackson 5ive and Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan off the schedule only one band (and one solo performer) joined the fray this time around.

The 1973-74 season also marked the return of some old Saturday morning favorites: Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Batman, Superman and Aquaman. After a bit of a vacation these characters returned to the airwaves in new formats. For all, it would be the beginning of a long-running Saturday morning relationship that would last well into the 80s.

When you look at the history of television you can usually connect names to certain eras of programming. For instance, producer Aaron Spelling can be connected with many of the dramas and primetime soap operas of the 70s and 80s; Garry Marshall can be matched to many of the great ABC comedies of the 70s; Mark Goodson and Bill Toddman can be hooked up with the daytime game shows that pocked the television landscape for three decades.

When the names William Hanna and Joseph Barbera are mentioned two words come to mind: Saturday mornings. Without the creations that the Hanna-Barbera studios put out year after year Saturday mornings would have looked much different. Oh, other studios like Rankin-Bass and Filmation would have probably picked up the slack, but then we wouldn't have known about Space Ghost, Scooby-Doo, Mutley, Jabberjaw, or the Wonder Twins.

From the late 50s until the early 90's Hanna-Barbera was a major presence on television. Their shows produced countless imitations (some coming from Hanna-Barbera itself), thousands of characters, and memories that will last our lifetime.

And, it all started with a cat and a mouse.

First of all, I've been out of the loop for the past few days so I wasn't able to post about this when the news first broke, but for those who haven't yet heard, animation legend Ed Benedict passed away on August 28 at the age of 94. Casual cartoon fans may not recognize the name Ed Benedict, but they will recognize his contribution to television animation, as he was responsible for designing some of the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters such as Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Quick Draw McGraw and Huckleberry Hound. It was Benedict's designs that made Hanna-Barbera's cartoons instantly recognizable. Before joining Hanna-Barbera in the latter half of the 1950s, Benedict worked at Disney before moving to TV commercials and eventually a gig at MGM with Tex Avery. Ren and Stimpy creator John K. was also an admirer of Benedict's work, and has a lovely tribute to the man over on his blog.